Rain ends Derbyshire cup hopes

Nigel Gardner

Derbyshire and Leicestershire’s slim hopes of making the last eight of the Royal London One-Day Cup were ended by rain at the 3aaa County Ground.

Both teams needed to win and hope results elsewhere in the North Group went in their favour, but after the Falcons made 260-6 in 50 overs, the Foxes faced just two balls before the rain arrived in Derby.

Neil Broom top-scored with 90 from 86 balls, his best List A score for Derbyshire, and Billy Godleman made 66 to give the home side a competitive total on a slow pitch but the weather prevented the Foxes chasing a revised target of 230 from 38 overs.

The start of Derbyshire’s innings resembled the first morning of a county championship match with the ball beating the bat at regular intervals, and it was no surprise when Ben Slater sent a low return catch to Clinton McKay in the fifth over.

Although Godleman drove Rob Sayer over long-off for six, the Falcons’ scoring rate reflected the sluggish nature of the pitch and the discipline of the Foxes’ bowling with Wes Durston’s attempts to inject some momentum only finding the hands of mid-wicket.

Wayne Madsen edged a drive at Kevin O’Brien into his stumps, and when Godleman played over a ball from Sayer he had scored only 16 runs from 29 balls after reaching 50.

Ironic cheers greeted the first boundary in 21 overs when Alex Hughes lifted Raine over mid-wicket, but Broom took two fours from three balls off O’Brien to complete his 50 in the 42nd over.

Hughes drove Raine to cover to end a stand of 74 from 77 balls, but Broom and fellow New Zealander Jimmy Neesham provided some late acceleration with both clearing the ropes as 68 came from 43 balls.

Ben Cotton bowled only two balls before a shower held up play for nearly an hour and although the umpires brought the players back, the rain intensified before the game could restart and it was abandoned at 20.15pm.